Vodka Rigatoni

 

• 16 ounces rigatoni
• 1 pound sausage
• ½ teaspoon sage
• 1 tablespoon onion powder
• 1 jar five cheese spaghetti sauce
• 1 jar alfredo sauce
• ¼ cup vodka
• Grated parmesan cheese to taste

1. Boil rigatoni
2. While that is cooking, brown sausage in a skillet.
3. Add sage and onion powder and stir.
4. Add spaghetti suace and alfredo sauce. Cook over medium heat for five minutes.
5. Add vodka and stir.
6. Drain rigatoni and add to the skillet.
7. Stir well.
8. Plate and add parmesan cheese

Serve and enjoy.

White Lasagna

• 9 lasagna noodles
• 1 pound ground sausage
• 2 celery ribs
• 1 medium onion
• 3 teaspoons refrigerated minced garlic
• ½ cup white whine
• 1 quart half and half
• ¼ teaspoon pepper
• ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 1 teaspoon fennel seeds
• ½ teaspoon sage
• ¼ teaspoon salt (this doesn't seem like enough, but salt in cheese gives a lot of flavor)
• 3 ounces cream cheese, cubed
• 1/3 cup minced fresh basil
• ½ teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 egg, lightly beaten
• 2 cups shredded white cheddar cheese
• 1 ½ cups (12 ounces) 2% cottage cheese
• 1 8 ounce package of shredded mozzarella
• 8 ounces shredded Gouda cheese

This recipe is for using the lasagna noodles dry.

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2. Spray 13 x 9” baking dish with olive oil.
3. Chop onion and celery to a fine point in food processor.
4. Brown the ground sausage, stirring frequently.
5. When browned, blot the sausage with paper towels to eliminate excessive oil.
6. Add the celery and onion and cook to a sweating stage.
7. Add the refrigerated minced garlic the last minute so as not to burn the garlic.
8. Add the white whine and stir and cook another 3 minutes.
9. Add 1 cup half and half, cream cheese, herbs, pepper, and salt. Stir until the cream cheese is melted.
10. Remove from fire.
11. In a medium sized bowl, combine egg, cheddar and cottage cheese. Stir well.
12. Pour a small amount of the remaining half and half in the baking dish, add three of the lasagna noodles, half the meat mixture, and spread. Then spread half the cheddar cheese mixture and spread and a third of the mozzerella. Pour another cup of the half and half over the mixture. Repeat that set of layers. Add the three remaining noodles. Distribute the final third of mozzarella and all the Gouda over the top. Pour the remaining half and half over the noodles.
13. Cover with foil and bake 45 minutes. Remove foil and return to the oven for 10 minutes or until slightly brown. Remove from oven and let stand 15 minutes before cutting.

Enjoy.

Olive Bread

You will need a dutch oven, a large mixing bowl, and a clean kitchen towel in order to make this recipe.

For a fresh loaf for 6:00 p.m. Dinner, start at 8 p.m the previous day, proof 14-18 hours (18 preferred) , bake at 2:00, cool from 2:00 the day of serving.

• 3 cups bread flour
• 1 teaspoon salt
• ¾ teaspoon yeast
• 1 ½ cups cool water
• 1 jar kalamata olives, drained, pitted and chopped
• white corn meal and flower for dusting

1. Pat the olives dry.
2. Mix the flour, yeast, and salt together.
3. Add the water, stir with a spoon or with hands.
4. Add the olives and work in some more.
5. Cover and let proof for 14-18 hours (18 preferred)
6. Sprinkle a clean towel liberally with a mixture of flour and corn meal.
7. Scoop your mixture out onto the towel. Turn a few times to cover.
8. Shape into a ball.
9. Cover with the towel and let proof for 2 hours more.
10. Begin heating the uncovered dutch oven at 500 degrees after 1 ½ hours after starting the second proof.
11. After 30 minutes, add the loaf to the Dutch oven and bake with the lid on for 30 minutes.
12. Take the lid off and bake it for another 20 minutes, so the crust is brown.
13. Remove and let cool on a wire rack for an hour. Then you can slice it.
14. Use to make a sandwich, or just alone or with butter.
15. Enjoy.

Pasta Stoup (a little thicker than soup)

Stoup is thicker than soup. Here is my recipe:

1 lb. ground sausage, browned

1 teaspoon rubbed sage

1 onion, chopped

1 teaspoon refrigerated minced garlic

3 Tablespoons chicken bouillon powder

6 cups water

1-28 ounce can tomato sauce

1 small can of tomato paste

2 Tablespoons Italian seasoning

10 ounces macaroni type pasta, any shape

Parmesan cheese for topping

In a large Dutch oven, add the sage to the ground sausage, stirring to break into small pieces.

Add onion and cook until translucent.

Add the minced garlic, chicken bouillon powder and 6 cups of water. Stir.

Add the tomato sauce and tomato paste and stir well.

Add the Italian seasoning. Stir.

With medium heat, bring to a soft boil.

Add the pasta and cook 15 minutes.

Ladle into bowls and top with grated Parmesan cheese.

Enjoy.

Nancy's Homemade Pizza Journey – October 2014 Version

My pizza quest has been a challenge to me. To be able to make pizza as good as our local restaurants of Tobin's, Grady's and Beningo's. I do believe that I might have moved away from my town, at least in the winter time, if I could find pizzas as good as these. Almost everyone that I know who have moved away from here say that these are among the things that they miss most. So first I will focus on the crust. I confess, I am using canned pizza sauce for this, but the rest is all not prepared. So please forgive my cheating in this instance. I am a beginner and I have to learn to crawl before I can walk. And believe me, if any of the above places would give me their recipes for such mouth watering masterpieces, I would crawl to them and beg. Of course, that won't happen because they have so closely guarded their recipes. So here goes:

Two days in advance, make the crust and refrigerate it covered.  It will still work a few hours in advance, but will taste a little different.

Crust Ingredients
1 small pizza	2 small or 1 large pizzas	2 large pizzas
½ cup warm (not hot) water	1 cup warm (not hot) water	2 cups warm (not hot) water
1 1/8 teaspoons or 1/8 oz.	1 pkg. of yeast (2 1/4 teaspoons) or 1/4 oz.	2 pkgs. of yeast (4 ½ teaspoons) or ½ oz.
3/4 teaspoon sugar	1 1/2 teaspoons sugar	3 teaspoons sugar
3/4 teaspoon salt	1 1/2 teaspoons salt	3 teaspoons salt
1 tablespoon oil	2 tablespoons oil	4 tablespoons oil
1 ¾ scant cups all purpose flour	3 ¼ cups all purpose flour	6 ½ cups all purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon anise seed	½ teaspoon anise seed	1 teaspoon anise seed

In a tall bowl, dissolve the yeast and sugar in the warm water.  Wait 15 minutes for the yeast to develop.  Then add the salt, oil, and anise seed and stir.  Do not add the salt in the beginning. I've heard that it will prevent the yeast from developing.  Add the flour a little at a time, working it in as you go.  By the time that it is all worked in, you probably won't be able to stir it.  It will have to be kneaded in.  About 5 minutes is sufficient.  If you don't need it, the dough will be difficult to roll because it won't have developed the elastic quality that forms from kneading.  When finished, place the dough in a ball back in the bowl, wet a paper towel and place over the dough, and then cover the bowl with plastic wrap or aluminum foil.  Let it rise on the counter for at least two hours.  At this point, it should have risen.  Punch dough down and let it rise again if in a hurry.  Otherwise return it to the bowl, cover with the wet paper towel and cover the bowl with the aluminum foil or plastic wrap and place it in the refrigerator for two days.  

Rest of Ingredients
1 small pizza	2 small or 1 large pizza	2 large pizzas
½ package center cut bacon	1 package center cut bacon	2 packages center cut bacon
½ large vidalia onion, chopped	1 large vidalia onion, chopped	2 large vidalia onions, chopped
1/3 can Chef-Boy-Ar-Dee pizza sauce	2/3 can Chef-Boy-Ar-Dee pizza sauce	1 can Chef-Boy-Ar-Dee pizza sauce
½ of a mozzarella ball	1 ball of mozzarella	2 balls of mozzarella
4 shakes of parmesan cheese	8 shakes of parmesan cheese	16 shakes of parmesan cheese

When ready to make the pizza:

 At this time also start heating the baking stone on the middle rack of the oven at 450 degrees.  Remove the upper rack to make placing the pizza and taking it out easier. It is important to let it heat for at least 30 minutes.

After the two days, or the second rise (if in a hurry), flour your pastry sheet using a shaker full of flour. 

Also, flour the rolling pin to control sticking.

Pat dough into a disk. 

Roll dough lengthwise first.

 Roll the other direction working towards a circle. Keep working it into a shape that is acceptable to you.  Remember that real pizza is a rustic shape.  Perfectly round pizzas, scream "frozen."  If the dough gets a hole in it, just pinch it together and roll the place again.  It is very forgiving, but you don't want holes that the sauce will leak though. 

Shake flour on your paddle.  Use the rolling pin to help you pick the dough up and transfer to the paddle. I did not do this before putting toppings on the first pizza, but next time I will.   

This is my paddle.  I bought mine off amazon (you're welcome, amazon).  .I did not see one in any cooking stores in my town and I have looked for them for a while.  

  

Dock the dough with a fork to help keep the dough flat.  But if you want the dough to bubble up, don't dock it so much. Some docking will also help to allow moisture to escape and promote even browning

.

Fry a whole package of center cut bacon for two pizzas. 

In the bacon grease, fry a chopped vidalia onion.

Drain the onions and bacon on paper plates.  Crumble the bacon.  Blot the tops of both with paper towels to absorb grease.

Spread with pizza sauce.  I used Chef-Boy-Ar-Dee for this one.  One can will make two large pizzas.  I only used a third of a can on this medium sized pizza.

Distribute the sauteed onion and bacon on the pizza.

Use mozzarella that comes in a ball.  Use a food processor to crumble it up.  Be careful not to process it too long or it will become a cream cheese texture.

Shake the parmesan cheese on it.

Slide the pizza onto the heated stone, starting at the back of the stone, and pull the paddle forward slowly, allowing it to gently fall on the stone.

Bake 11 minutes at 450 degrees on the stone.  

Check to see if the crust is done by inserting the paddle underneath the pizza.  If it is still floppy, the pizza is not done.  Keep on the stone a little longer, checking each minute.  When the pizza is the done, insert the paddle under the pizza and remove from the oven.  Set the whole pizza and paddle on the counter.  Let sit for 3 minutes.  Then cut with a rolling wheel pizza cutter.

This is what the crust side resembles.  See how nicely browned it is.

Serve and enjoy.  

Sweet Italian Sausage Sandwiches

• 5 pretzel long rolls (I find them at Cub Foods)
• 5 sweet Italian sausages in casings (I found them at Kroger’s)
• 3 tablespoons light mayonnaise
• 1 tablespoon prepared mustard
• 1 teaspoon minced garlic (the refrigerated kind in a jar)
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 onion
• 1 green bell pepper

1. With a fork, poke holes in the sausage casings to prevent the casings from splitting.
2. Place sausages in  a large skillet.
3. Add one cup water.
4. Braise until the liquid from the sausages evaporates and then brown on all sides.
5. Split the rolls lengthwise.
6. Mix the lite mayonnaise, mustard and garlic together well.
7. Spread the mixture on the inner surfaces of the rolls.
8. On aluminum foil, toast roll surfaces in a regular oven at 400 degrees, watching closely.
9. In a small skillet, saute coarsely chopped onion.
10. When slightly browned, add the chopped green pepper and saute a few minutes more.
11. Assemble the sandwiches.
12. Serve and enjoy.

Nancy's Tiramisu

Garnish:

• 1 tablespoon powdered sugar for each top and bottom
• 1 tablespoon cinnamon for each top and bottom

Loaf:

• 1 cup mascarpone cheese
• ½ cup heavy cream
• 1/3 cup powdered sugar
• ½ cup very hot water
• ½ cup Kahlua
• 12 dry ladyfingers (cut crosswise)

1. Beat thoroughly the mascarpone cheese, heavy cream, and 1/3 cup powdered sugar.
2. Mix ½ cup very hot water and Kahlua and place in a separate bowl.
3. Cut the 12 dry ladyfingers crosswise. This will allow the liquid to penetrate the ladyfingers.
4. Spray a loaf pan with non-stick spray.
5. Cut a piece of waxed paper to shape and place in the bottom of the loaf pan.
6. Spoon enough of the cheese mixture to cover the bottom of the pan.
7. Soak one at a time ladyfingers in the Kahlua mixture for 30 seconds.
8. Place in the pan so that as the Tiramisu is sliced that you can see rounds of the ladyfinger sticks.
9. Cover with some more of the cheese mixture.
10. Repeat the layering with some more of the soaked ladyfingers
11. Cover with some more of the cheese mixture.
12. Keep repeating this procedure until all the ingredients are gone (the cheese mixture should be the top layer).
13. Sprinkle powdered sugar through a sieve on the top layer of the Tiramisu.
14. Sprinkle cinnamon through the sieve on the top layer of the Tiramisu.
15. Cover with waxed paper and refrigerate, at least 4 hours, preferably overnight.
16. Remove waxed paper and invert loaf of Tiramisu on a plate.
17. Remove the layer of waxed paper of the inverted Tiramisu.
18. Sprinkle powdered sugar through a sieve on the inverted top layer of the Tiramisu.
19. Sprinkle cinnamon through the sieve on the inverted top layer of the Tiramisu.
20. Slice and serve with fruit (optional).